ASTANA, August 29. /TASS/. Moscow opposes any changes to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program and call on all partners to avoid unilateral decisions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday speaking at the 62nd conference of the Pugwash movement on Science for peace, disarmament, international security and scientific cooperation.
"We constantly encourage all partners to avoid unilateral actions within the framework of this agreement," he stressed.
"We are firmly opposed to any interpretations, any toughening or amending the text of this agreement."
US position
The US position on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program casts doubt on Washington’s ability to execute agreements, the Russian diplomat has stressed.
"We see misunderstanding and mistrust on the part of the United States [regarding the implementation of the JCPOA]," he noted. "We believe that all their actions undermine not just the spirit, but the letter of the agreement as well. This also undermines Washington's ability to adhere to the consents they gave."
"Unfortunately, the so-called sanctions part of this agreement is still in place," the senior diplomat added. "We profoundly share the concern of our Iranian friends who note how slow Western businesses are returning to Iran."
On July 14, 2015, Iran and a group of six world powers (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) reached an agreement on resolving the persisting Iranian nuclear problem by adopting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). On January 16, 2016, it was announced that the implementation of this plan endorsed by the relevant UN Security Council resolution began. This plan envisages removal of the sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program by the UN, the US and the European Union. In return, Tehran pledged to limit its nuclear activities placing them under international control.